AOL’s European Media Director Downing Has Left

The director of the AOL (NYSE: AOL) Media division in Europe, Julian Downing, has left the company, paidContent:UK has learned and confirmed.

It’s thought Downing’s role was made redundant, though AOL would not confirm.

AOL had been staffing up the division here since new CEO Tim Armstrong and new AOL Europe director Kate Burns refocused the former “Mediaglow” unit as “AOL Media”.

David Shing became head of media and marketing in February and hired Downing to the new role in May. Downing had spent four years at Hearst Digital, the female-focused digital arm of the National Magazines Company that publishes sites for mags like Company and Cosmopolitan plus online-only properties like AllAboutYou and Handbag.

Much of AOL Media’s European work has been localising content sites launched across the pond.

AOL says there are no other changes to the Media team other than Downing’s exit; the only rejig being that Williams’ creative solutions business now sits under sales: “We are a dynamic business and change as we need to and will continue to make strategic hires when and where they help us execute against our core strategy.”

Update: Create sales head Scott Williams left to set up his own company, Uloo, a digital consulting agency.